5 4 2025 When the End is Really the Beginning

Held In The Grip Of Grace

In this week’s message, Pastor Rodney Beaulieu continues to unravel the deeply misunderstood narrative of the rich man and Lazarus, with a sharp and thoughtful examination of the so-called “comma controversy” in Luke 23:43. What did Jesus actually say to the thief on the cross? Was paradise promised that very day—or is there more beneath the surface? Digging into the Greek Interlinear, Rodney challenges the standard punctuation and offers a liberating perspective that aligns with God's ultimate plan for salvation.

Rodney opens with a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving and a transparent note about the message’s abrupt ending due to recent technical setbacks—offering listeners both grace and honesty in the unfolding journey. Despite the hurdles, he lays a solid foundation that prepares us for next week's continuation, where even more groundbreaking insights will be explored.

With passionate conviction, Rodney reminds his listeners that the sin issue between God and man has been permanently settled—sin was taken away, not temporarily managed. Through the cross, Jesus didn't merely delay judgment—He eradicated the barrier completely. This message is a powerful reminder that man is no longer estranged from God due to sin; the distance persists only in the minds of those clinging to false narratives.

This week’s study then dives into Abraham’s bosom—not as a literal location of comfort near hell, but as a symbolic image misinterpreted for centuries. Rodney examines how the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is often wrongly treated as a literal event, when in fact, it is a parable rich with metaphor and meaning. He exposes the inconsistencies of the narrative when taken literally—like how the dead could speak across a great gulf without any plausible means of communication. He poses a vital question: why would God build a comfort zone adjacent to torment? This teaching dismantles that contradiction.

Rodney also explores how many cling to “perfect” Bible translations to uphold fear-based doctrines like eternal conscious torment. He contrasts that reliance with the divine reality that God’s Word is perfectly preserved in heaven—not in fallible earthly translations tainted by human doctrine and tradition.

From here, Rodney sets the stage for a new paradigm of understanding—a shift from fear to revelation. He emphasizes the freedom that comes from breaking out of theological dungeons and doctrinal boxes. No longer bound by traditions that promote fear, believers can finally see Scripture through the lens of God’s love and purpose. He warns, however, that new understanding can only come when we admit that we might have been wrong.

In a powerful shift, Rodney transitions to the subject of Paradise—not as a location of reward but as a relational state of being. The Garden of Eden is revealed as the original paradise, where God dwelled with man. He outlines how “Paradise” is not a separate compartment in the afterlife, but the future and final state where God once again dwells with His creation.

Scripture after scripture from Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation are examined to support the idea that God’s ultimate plan has always been to dwell with His people. Verses like “they shall be my people, and I will be their God” are highlighted as the consistent theme throughout the Bible—from Eden to eternity. Rodney links this truth to Israel first, then to all humanity, using the law of first mention to explain the ultimate reconciliation of man with God.

The final portion of the message focuses on God’s foreknowledge and omniscience. Rodney takes us through a theological deep dive on how God declares the end from the beginning, calling things that “be not as though they were.” Before creation, God already planned redemption through the cross.

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